Supporting stirrup for tracks



July 28, 1959 J. N. GRABER I SUPPORTING STIRRUP FOR TRACKS Fild llay 9,1956 IIIIIIIIIII 'IIIIJ IIII/ INVENTOR JOHN N. GRAB ER ATTORNEYS UnitedStates Patent SUPPORTING STIRRUP FOR TRACKS John N. Graber, Middleton,Wis., assignor to Graber Manufacturing Company, Inc, lvliddleton, Wis.,a corporafion Application May 9, 1956, Serial No. 583,828

1 Claim. (Cl. 248262) This invention appertains to supports for traverserods or tracks for draperies and the like, and more particularly tomeans for removably and detachably securing such rods or tracks inplace.

One of the primary objects of my invention is to provide a novel stirrupinto which the traverse rod or track can be readily sprung and which isso constructed that the same will not be subject to fatigue andmechanical failures and thus firmly hold the rod or track againstaccidental displacement.

Another salient object of the invention is the provision of a resilientholding arm on the stirrup automatically depressible against itsinherent resiliency by the movement of the rod or track in the stirrupto permit the seating of the rod, and then automatically returnable toan operative position by its resiliency to a rod holding position.

A further important object of my invention is the provision of means formanually depressing the resilient holding or latch arm to a releasedposition beyond an edge of the rod, whereby the rod can be easily andquickly removed from the stirrup or whereby the rod can be slidlongitudinally in the stirrup to a preferred adjusted position, thestirrup being so constructed that the rod can be threaded therein inlieu of being sprung therein, should such be desired.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in thenovel construction, arrangement and formation of parts, as will behereinafter more specifically described and claimed, and illustrated inthe accompanying drawing, in which drawing,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved stirrup;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the stirrup taken onthe line 22 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows, theview showing the resilient holding or latch arm in its normal positionin full linesand in its depressed position in dotted lines upon theswinging of a rod or track therein;

Figure 3 is a yiew similar to Figure 2, but showing a rod or track swungtherein and with the resilient holding or latch arm in its operativeposition, and

Figure 4 is a transverstisectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure2, lookirigin the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the drawing in detail, wherein similar ref erencecharacters designate corresponding partsihroughout the several views,the letter S generally indicatesmy improved stirrup and the same ispreferably formed fr5m\ a single piece of spring steel stamped, orotherwise formed, into the desired shape.

The stirrup S includes an attaching leg 5 normally used in a horizontalplane and formed on the outer end of the leg is a C-shaped foot 6. Thefoot 6 is joined with the attaching leg 5 by an arcuate connecting bightportion 7 which conforms generally to the curvature of a C-shaped trackor drapery rod R. This rod or track is of a character now found in theopen market. The foot itself includes a straight portion 8 and thisportion 2,896,902 Patented July 28, 1959 8, in general use of thestirrup, lies in a vertical plane and the straight portion has formed onits outer end the arcuately curved lip 9 which is adapted to embrace oneedge of the rod or track R as will later appear.

While I have shown the foot 6 extending upwardly from the attaching leg5, it is to be understood that the stirrup can be used in an invertedposition with the foot depending down from the attaching leg. Theattaching leg itself is provided with openings 10 for the reception ofholding bolts or other fastening elements, whereby the stirrup can besecured to supporting brackets, or a ceiling, as the case may be.

This leg 5 is preferably depressed centrally and longitudinally, as at11, so as to form longitudinally extending reinforcing ribs 12.

In accordance with this invention, I form on the end of the leg 5 remotefrom the foot 6, a resilient holding or latch arm 13. The arm extendsover the leg 5 and normally takes a position at an acute angle to saidleg, as is best shown in Figure 2. The latch arm is connected with thefoot 6 by an arcuate resilient bight portion. The metal from which thearm 13 is formed is preferably stamped out, as at 14, whereby toincrease the resiliency of the arm or to facilitate the ease ofdepressing the arm of the leg. It is to be noted that the inner freeedge of the arm is spaced from the flat portion 8 of the foot 6 and thatthe distance of this spacing is slightly less than the width of the rodor track R for a purpose, which will now appear.

In use of my stirrup, the same is secured in place at a desired point,after which the rod or track R is held at an angle and inserted in thearcuate foot portion 9, after which the rod is swung into the stirruptoward the straight portion 8 of the foot and against the resilientholding or latch arm 13. This will automatically depress the holding orlatch arm (see Figure 2), and as the rod engages the flat portion 8 ofthe foot the arm 13 will automatically spring outwardly by its inherentresiliency and ride on the lower curved surface of the rod to a positionshown in Figure 3 and to a position that is substantially parallel withthe attaching leg 5. In this position, the arm firmly holds the rod inplace and any tendency of the rod to swing in the stirrup is resisted bythe arm, and in fact the arm tends to bite into the rod and hold thesame in place.

When it is desired to remove the rod, it is merely necessary to manuallydepress the arm, so that the lower edge of the rod will be free to-swingup and out of the stirrup.

By holding the arm 13 depressed, the rod can he slid longitudinally andmoved along the stirrup. If preferred, the arm can be depressed andthreaded or slipped on the rod. If desired, the arm can be shortened inmanufacture, where it is desired to slip the rod into the stirrup.

From the foregoing description, it can be seen that I have provided asimple and inexpensive stirrup, but one which will effectively hold arod rigidly in position against accidental displacement and one in whichadjustment of screws and the like is entirely eliminated.

Changes in details may be made without departing from the spirit or thescope of this invention but what I claim as new is:

\\ As a new article of manufacture, a stirrup for detachably a ndremovably securing a C-shaped drapery rod in place formed from anintegral single piece of material comprising anattaching leg, asupporting foot formed on one end of said leg and extendingsubstantially at a right angle thereto and shaped to partially conformto the transverse configuration 5e C-shaped drapery rod to be associatedtherewith and inc udi ng an arcuate lip portion for embracing the uppercurvededge of the rod, and a depressible latch arm including astraightabody portion and a curved resilient bight portion connectingthe outer curvedv edge of the rod and at a point remote from said end ofthe straight portion with the end of the attaching lip when arod issprung into the foot.

leg remote from said foot, said straight portion extending over said legin spaced relation thereto toward said foot References Cited in the fileof this 132mmt and terminating short of said foot for engaging the inner5 UNITED STATES PATENTS f ce of a rod only at a point remote from thebottom 1,884,414 vroom Oct. 25 1932

